Are you in the market for a new graphics card? Then you've chosen an excellent time to get one. Graphics card prices used to go through the roof, with a GeForce RTX 3090 costing you an arm and a leg when launched. Thankfully, prices have dropped significantly post COVID and with crypto-mining settling down.

This price drop goes for both brand-new GPUs and second-hand cards. So, what should you go for if you have a fixed budget? A brand-new entry-level GPU or a higher-performing second-hand model?

Purchasing second-hand usually saves you money, but does that rule apply to GPUs? Or will it end up costing you more?

The Risks of Buying Used Items

Whenever someone sells anything used, especially on eBay or Craigslist, you should first ask yourself why they are selling it. Are they selling it for cheap because they simply want to get rid of extra items lying around their house? Or because they need money fast? Or are they looking to offload it from their hands because it's on its way out?

If you pick a bad card, you'll end up spending much more than you want in the long run. You'll have to replace it when it fails prematurely, or you'll find yourself spending more on an upgrade because you aren't getting the expected performance from it.

When purchasing something second-hand, especially something as expensive as a graphics card, you put a lot of trust in the seller. This is particularly true when you are purchasing online, as realistically, the image on the listing could be pulled from anywhere on the internet.

So, if you plan on buying a second-hand graphics card, buying something local from Craigslist or Facebook could prevent you from getting scammed. Purchasing locally allows you to check out the item in person to ensure it's up to scratch.

Alternatively, you can purchase from verified sellers or trusted stores with good reviews. Just ensure that they have excellent return policies and check if they offer a warranty. That way, you can also protect yourself if you get a dud.

Second-Hand Doesn't Always Mean Old

The world of graphics cards and technology, in general, evolves quickly. New models are constantly developed and introduced into the market. As technology advances, older models are left in the dust.

While the last thing you want to do is purchase an obsolete graphics card that you will need to replace quickly, just because it is second-hand doesn't automatically mean it's old.

Plenty of second-hand GPUs on websites like Amazon or eBay still have a lot of life left in them and can be even better than brand-new ones. For example, you could purchase a brand-new RTX 2080 for full price. But, on the other hand, you could buy a second-hand renewed RTX 3090 for a fractionally higher price and get a far better performance out of it.

What Does Crypto-Mining Have to Do With Graphics Cards?

So we have already touched on crypto-mining previously, but what does it actually mean, and what does it have to do with buying a second-hand graphics card? Essentially, graphics cards are the pickaxes of a crypto-miner. When a graphics card is used for crypto-mining, it is running 24/7 for years on end in most cases.

There are pros and cons to crypto-mining, but one of the cons is its effect on graphics cards. Buying one used for crypto-mining is like buying a used vehicle with 150,000 miles on it. There could be a good chance that it won't perform as well as a graphics card that has been lightly used or never used at all.

Most advice on the internet will tell you to stay well away from a graphics card used for crypto-mining. But is there really much of a difference between a GPU used for hard gaming and a GPU used for crypto-mining?

Video games fluctuate greatly when it comes to the pressure that they put on a GPU. There are calm moments where the card chugs along lightly and then intense boss battles that see it running at full throttle until it's done.

When a GPU is used for crypto-mining, it runs at a high but stable level. So a GPU used for gaming can put more stress on a graphics card at the end of the day.

It's similar with cars—a car cruising at a stable 60mph for 100 miles will consume less fuel than driving slower but in stop-and-go traffic. So although many theories about the internet suggest that a second-hand card used for crypto-mining will be a bad investment, it's not always the case.

But you should be wary about GPUs from cryptominers that don't take care of their gear or modify the video cards that cause damage. That's why you should always check if a GPU was modded before buying it.

Verdict: There Is Nothing Wrong With Buying a Second-Hand Graphics Card

Unfortunately, a used graphics card doesn't necessarily age like a fine wine. Once a product like that has been heavily used for an extended period, its quality can drop significantly. Especially if it is on its way out and the seller isn't being quite as up-front as they perhaps should be about the quality of their product.

But at the end of the day, buying a second-hand graphics card isn't any more dangerous than buying a second-hand car or anything else second-hand, for that matter. Not all sellers are dishonest, and plenty of reliable second-hand GPUs are available for you to save money on.

As long as you purchase responsibly from a seller with good reviews or, even better, someone local that will allow you to check out the product before you purchase it, you can spend a lot less on a brilliant GPU by buying second-hand.

Sure, there is a chance the seller might not be the best, and you could end up with a dud. But many websites like eBay and Amazon have great buyer protection processes in place. So the chances are if you do get ripped off, you can most likely get your money back and try again.

Graphics Cards Aren't Antiques

When buying something brand-new, you have the added comfort of knowing you have a long-lasting warranty and a reliable product. And it is also true that when products like GPUs are pre-owned, they don't go up in value like an antique piece of jewelry or a painting.

There is a chance that your second-hand GPU may not work as well as a brand-new one. But there is also a pretty good chance it will. And, sometimes, the risks outweigh the reward, especially when you are saving potentially hundreds of dollars by purchasing second-hand.

When buying anything online, purchase from a trusted source and check their reviews before finalizing your payment. And remember, the key to buying anything online is that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.